12-23-2020, 07:59 AM
Thanks for your reply RL - however, with the best will in the world - it is difficult to believe that this activity will have any significant consequence.
I am reluctant to remind you that UKIP was created a few years after the Party was founded in its present form. UKIP's best days, under the leadership of Nigel Farage are in the past, nevertheless, it still has a membership of around 29,000 compared to Labour 485,000, Conservatives 180,000, members, Liberal Democrats 115,000 Green Party 48,500.
"Under Farage's leadership - which began in 2006 - UKIP was awarded "major party status" after the 2014 local elections when it won 163 seats, an increase of 128. In the 2014 European Parliament elections, UKIP received the greatest number of votes (27.5%) of any British party, producing 24 MEPs. The party won seats in every region of Britain, including its first in Scotland. It made strong gains in traditionally Labour voting areas within Wales and the North of England; it for instance came either first or second in all 72 council areas of the latter. The victory established Farage and UKIP as "truly household names". It was the first time since 1906 that a party other than Labour or the Conservatives had won the most votes in a UK-wide election.
UKIP gained its first MP when Conservative defector Douglas Carswell won the seat of Clacton during an October 2014 by-election. In November fellow Conservative defector Mark Reckless became UKIP's second MP in a Rochester and Strood by-election. In the 2015 general election, UKIP secured over 3.8 million votes (12.6% of the total), replacing the Liberal Democrats as the third most popular party.
To counter the loss of further votes to UKIP, the governing Conservatives promised a referendum on the UK's continued membership of the EU. The June 2016 referendum produced a 51.89% majority in favour of leaving the EU." [Extracted from Wikipedia]
I remain of the opinion that the Party's primary aim should be the election of an MP - so that the Party's policies can become widely known. I do appreciate that this will be difficult - but unless it is the case - is there really any point in having national or international policies? If the continued wish of the members is to grow the Party through increasing its councillor representation - that's fine - but this is also the strategy of the Green Party. By their own admission, this is likely to take at least a decade to increase its current MP representation and probably two decades. Unfortunately for a party concerned with Climate Change - in just one decade the necessary action to avoid a tipping point being reached [a reduction of 6% CO2 emissions annually until 2030] will have passed.
Should the Party wish to try the 'MP' route, it seems to me that the website needs immediate attention - as this is likely to be where most potential members first engage with the Party. I know that plans are afoot to update the site - however, unless appealing - it is unlikely many will join in its present form. It is worth looking at the UKIP site - it is crisp and clear - and something similar should be possible within the existing budget.
[Tried to include link but this feature does not seem to be working]
UKIP include eight policies, I would suggest four as a maximum - keeping in mind that UKIP really only had one policy during its rapid rise - to leave the EU. Presumably all of the policies included in the Party's 2019 manifesto are up for review - four policies only should provide a healthy competition as to what is to be included in the next!
I am reluctant to remind you that UKIP was created a few years after the Party was founded in its present form. UKIP's best days, under the leadership of Nigel Farage are in the past, nevertheless, it still has a membership of around 29,000 compared to Labour 485,000, Conservatives 180,000, members, Liberal Democrats 115,000 Green Party 48,500.
"Under Farage's leadership - which began in 2006 - UKIP was awarded "major party status" after the 2014 local elections when it won 163 seats, an increase of 128. In the 2014 European Parliament elections, UKIP received the greatest number of votes (27.5%) of any British party, producing 24 MEPs. The party won seats in every region of Britain, including its first in Scotland. It made strong gains in traditionally Labour voting areas within Wales and the North of England; it for instance came either first or second in all 72 council areas of the latter. The victory established Farage and UKIP as "truly household names". It was the first time since 1906 that a party other than Labour or the Conservatives had won the most votes in a UK-wide election.
UKIP gained its first MP when Conservative defector Douglas Carswell won the seat of Clacton during an October 2014 by-election. In November fellow Conservative defector Mark Reckless became UKIP's second MP in a Rochester and Strood by-election. In the 2015 general election, UKIP secured over 3.8 million votes (12.6% of the total), replacing the Liberal Democrats as the third most popular party.
To counter the loss of further votes to UKIP, the governing Conservatives promised a referendum on the UK's continued membership of the EU. The June 2016 referendum produced a 51.89% majority in favour of leaving the EU." [Extracted from Wikipedia]
I remain of the opinion that the Party's primary aim should be the election of an MP - so that the Party's policies can become widely known. I do appreciate that this will be difficult - but unless it is the case - is there really any point in having national or international policies? If the continued wish of the members is to grow the Party through increasing its councillor representation - that's fine - but this is also the strategy of the Green Party. By their own admission, this is likely to take at least a decade to increase its current MP representation and probably two decades. Unfortunately for a party concerned with Climate Change - in just one decade the necessary action to avoid a tipping point being reached [a reduction of 6% CO2 emissions annually until 2030] will have passed.
Should the Party wish to try the 'MP' route, it seems to me that the website needs immediate attention - as this is likely to be where most potential members first engage with the Party. I know that plans are afoot to update the site - however, unless appealing - it is unlikely many will join in its present form. It is worth looking at the UKIP site - it is crisp and clear - and something similar should be possible within the existing budget.
[Tried to include link but this feature does not seem to be working]
UKIP include eight policies, I would suggest four as a maximum - keeping in mind that UKIP really only had one policy during its rapid rise - to leave the EU. Presumably all of the policies included in the Party's 2019 manifesto are up for review - four policies only should provide a healthy competition as to what is to be included in the next!